Three-dimensional face recognition in the presence of facial expressions: an annotated deformable model approach

In this paper, we present the computational tools and a hardware prototype for 3D face recognition. Full automation is provided through the use of advanced multistage alignment algorithms, resilience to facial expressions by employing a deformable model framework, and invariance to 3D capture devices through suitable preprocessing steps. In addition, scalability in both time and space is achieved by converting 3D facial scans into compact metadata. We present our results on the largest known, and now publicly available, face recognition grand challenge 3D facial database consisting of several thousand scans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest performance reported on the FRGC v2 database for the 3D modality     

Reinforcement Learning Based Algorithms for Average Cost Markov Decision Processes

This article proposes several two-timescale simulation-based actor-critic algorithms for solution of infinite horizon Markov Decision Processes with finite state-space under the average cost criterion. Two of the algorithms are for the compact (non-discrete) action setting while the rest are for finite-action spaces. On the slower timescale, all the algorithms perform a gradient search over corresponding policy spaces using two different Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation (SPSA) gradient estimates. On the faster timescale, the differential cost function corresponding to a given stationary policy is updated and an additional averaging is performed for enhanced performance. A proof of convergence to a locally optimal policy is presented. Next, we discuss a memory efficient implementation that uses a feature-based representation of the state-space and performs TD(0) learning along the faster timescale. The TD(0) algorithm does not follow an on-line sampling of states but is observed to do well on our setting. Numerical experiments on a problem of rate based flow control are presented using the proposed algorithms. We consider here the model of a single bottleneck node in the continuous time queueing framework. We show performance comparisons of our algorithms with the two-timescale actor-critic algorithms of Konda and Borkar (1999) and Bhatnagar and Kumar (2004). Our algorithms exhibit more than an order of magnitude better performance over those of Konda and Borkar (1999).

Continuous relaxation and local maxima selection: conditions for equivalence

Relaxation labeling processes are a class of iterative algorithms for using contextual information to reduce local ambiguities. This paper introduces a new perspective toward relaxation-that of considering it as a process for reordering labels attached to nodes in a graph. This new perspective is used to establish the formal equivalence between relaxation and another widely used algorithm, local maxima selection. The equivalence specifies conditions under which a family of cooperative relaxation algorithms, which generalize the well-known ones, decompose into purely local ones. Since these conditions are also sufficient for guaranteeing the convergence of relaxation processes, they serve as stopping criteria. We feel that equivalences such as these are necessary for the proper application of relaxation and maxima selection in complex speech and vision understanding systems.     

Bathymetric study of Lake Hayq,Ethiopia

The generation of scientific information for improved understating of the physical dynamics of a lake is fundamental for guiding lake stakeholders and managers at the local level to implement best management practices and help design effective management strategies and policies at higher levels. Multitemporal bathymetric information on lakes is very important in hydrology and sediment studies to more clearly indicate environmental changes and to understand the effects of land processes on the hydrology of lakes. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to map bathymetric charts of Lake Hayq ¹ in Ethiopia and to derive morphometric parameters, including depth, volume, area, width and length, and to plot curves illustrating the relationships between these parameters. The bathymetric survey was carried out using a combination of a SonarLite Portable Echo Sounder and Global Positioning System (GPS) to generate three‐dimensional (XYZ) hydrographic data. Surfer 8.01 and ArcGIS 9.3 software program were used for surface, gridding and morphometric analyses. Comparison of the results of this study with a previous study conducted in 1941 indicated the lake has experienced changes in depth and surface area. To reduce the negative impacts of human‐induced activities on the ecohydrology of the lake, and to maintain its ecological integrity, appropriate and integrated lake management practices must be adopted. This will necessitate policy formulation, active lake basin stakeholder involvement and implementation of basin‐wide lake management to ensure sustainable use of the lake and its basin resources.     

Monte Carlo simulation on tensile failure process of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced nano-phased epoxy

This paper presents an analytical approach which combines the modified shear-lag model and Monte Carlo simulation technique to simulate the tensile failure process of unidirectional T700 carbon reinforced composite. Two kinds of matrix were investigated in the present paper, one is neat epoxy and the other one is SiC nano-particle filled epoxy. In the model, the strength of the fiber elements is randomly allocated by the Monte Carlo method, the elastic properties of the matrix elements and the friction after the interfaces breakage are definitely allocated. Using this model, the deformation, damage and failure process of the composite are simulated on the microscopic level, the tensile stress–strain relationship is well predicted. The relationship between mechanical properties of the fiber, matrix and composites was discussed. The analysis also shows that, compared with the neat system, nano-phased composite exhibits 10% improvement in tensile strength, which agrees with the experimental data.     

Characteristics of Metal Droplets in Slag Tapped from the Blast Furnace

Slag samples, hot‐metal samples and hot‐metal temperatures were obtained during tapping of two blast furnaces. Sampling was carried out at different time points during tapping of three separate heats. The size distribution and composition of metal droplets found in the slag were determined using scanning electron microscopy. Only metal droplets above 0.75 μm could be counted and analysed. All droplets were below 8 μm in diameter and the great majority of these droplets were found to be between 0.75 and 2 μm. The size distribution did not differ significantly for different slag samples. Iron was the main droplet component. Electron probe microanalysis showed that the droplets contained small amounts of carbon. The percentage of the area in a studied cross‐section that was covered with metal droplets varied between 0.01 and 0.07%. Calculations based on Stoke's law showed that the distance droplets travel in the slag is in the micron range. Slag samples taken in the beginning of slag tapping contained more droplets than those taken in the middle of slag tapping, an indication that most droplets can be found in the area near the furnace wall. Some droplets were determined to have magnesium enrichment at the external surface.     

Impact of the Boeing 767 Aircraft into the World Trade Center

A numerical simulation of the aircraft impact into the exterior columns of the World Trade Center (WTC) was done using LS-DYNA. For simplification, the fuselage was modeled as a thin-walled cylinder, the wings were modeled as box beams with a fuel pocket, and the engines were represented as rigid cylinders. The exterior columns of the WTC were represented as box beams. Actual masses, material properties and dimensions of the Boeing 767 aircraft and the exterior columns of the WTC were used in this analysis. It was found that about 46% of the initial kinetic energy of the aircraft was used to damage columns. The minimum impact velocity of the aircraft to just penetrate the exterior columns would be 130?m/s. It was also found that a Boeing 767 traveling at top speed would not penetrate exterior columns of the WTC if the columns were thicker than 20?mm.     

Coupling subband decomposition and independent component regression for quantitative NIR spectroscopy

In this paper, a new method is proposed for coupling digital bandpass filtering with independent component regression (ICR) to improve the quality of the raw absorbance spectra in quantitative NIR spectroscopy. The proposed model, referred to as SDICR, is based on a subband decomposition independent component analysis (SDICA) model coupled with ICR regression. The SDICA is used to select the optimal parameters of the digital bandpass filter and to determine the most independent subcomponents of the original sources, so the standard ICA methods can be used. The efficiency of the proposed model is validated using mixtures composed of glucose, urea and triacetin in a phosphate buffer solution in a non-controlled environment. The proposed model decreases the standard error of prediction (SEP) from 29.1 mg/dL for ICR to only 18.6547 mg/dL using 10 subbands.     

Nanomembrane‐Based,Thermal‐Transport Biosensor for Living Cells

Knowledge of materials' thermal‐transport properties, conductivity and diffusivity, is crucial for several applications within areas of biology, material science and engineering. Specifically, a microsized, flexible, biologically integrated thermal transport sensor is beneficial to a plethora of applications, ranging across plants physiological ecology and thermal imaging and treatment of cancerous cells, to thermal dissipation in flexible semiconductors and thermoelectrics. Living cells pose extra challenges, due to their small volumes and irregular curvilinear shapes. Here a novel approach of simultaneously measuring thermal conductivity and diffusivity of different materials and its applicability to single cells is demonstrated. This technique is based on increasing phonon‐boundary‐scattering rate in nanomembranes, having extremely low flexural rigidities, to induce a considerable spectral dependence of the bandgap‐emission over excitation‐laser intensity. It is demonstrated that once in contact with organic or inorganic materials, the nanomembranes' emission spectrally shift based on the material's thermal diffusivity and conductivity. This NM‐based technique is further applied to differentiate between different types and subtypes of cancer cells, based on their thermal‐transport properties. It is anticipated that this novel technique to enable an efficient single‐cell thermal targeting, allow better modeling of cellular thermal distribution and enable novel diagnostic techniques based on variations of single‐cell thermal‐transport properties.     

A comprehensive study on the size-dependent hygrothermal analysis of exponentially graded microplates on elastic foundations

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of hygrothermal conditions on various behaviors, such as bending, free vibration, mechanical and thermal buckling, of exponentially graded microplates lying on two-parameter elastic foundations are investigated. The trigonometric four-variable plate theory incorporated to the modified couple stress theory (MCST) is employed to derive the equations of motion. The present MCST contains an internal material length scale parameter, thus it can capture the size effect. The microplate is assumed to be subjected to a temperature rise and moisture concentration which are varied linearly through the thickness of the plate. Based on an exponential law, the material properties of the microplate are graded only in z direction. The equations of motion are solved analytically to obtain the displacements, stresses, eigenfrequencies and critical buckling load and temperature of the microplates. The present results are validated by comparing them with those previously published. The numerical examples reveal that considering the size effect and/or the elastic foundations leads to an increment in plate stiffness and thereby leads to a decrement in the deflection and an increment in eigenfrequency and buckling loads. It is also shown that the size effect is negligible for the thicker plate.